Air Peace has vehemently denied claims that it abandoned passengers at Gatwick Airport in London on April 8, 2024, and closed its counter prematurely due to overbooking.
In its response to a social media video alleging the incident, Air Peace said the allegations were false and aimed at damaging its reputation.
The airline made it clear that Gatwick Airport operates on slot timings assigned to each airline, and the check-in process is based on these slots. Once the allocated time expires, airlines must vacate the counters for the next carrier.
According to Air Peace, as clearly stated in the terms and conditions of the eTickets, the check-in operation shall cease at 9:00 a.m. At 9:55 am, by their slot allocation, the desk was vacant.
“To prevent missed flights, we send multiple reminders to passengers before departure,” Air Peace stated. The flight was scheduled to depart at 11:10 AM, and all procedures were conducted accordingly.
The airline debunked the claim of overbooking, stating that both the UK and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities could verify their passenger manifest. In addition, the timeline of events, including the arrival of the passenger at the counter and the timing of the video in question, is confirmed by the surveillance footage at Gatwick Airport.
The late passenger, upon arrival at the airport, had to pay a fee for not showing up and was rebooked on another flight which effectively solved the problem.
Air Peace affirmed, “Air Peace is dedicated to serving passengers efficiently but requires adherence to specific timelines for seamless travel.”
